Just The Same
by Kitake Neru
Summary: Mamori reflects how similar Hiruma and Sena are. Set during the Deimon-Hakushuu match. Rated for swearing.


A/N**:** Set during Hiruma's injury during the Deimon-Hakushyuu match.

Disclaimer: Eyeshield21 doesn't belong to me.

**Just The Same**

**Hiruma x Mamori**

* * *

Always, _always_, she had been protecting Sena. Sena is weak, she reasoned. He's small, timid, always getting bullied. She _had _to protect him.

But Hiruma isn't Sena. Hiruma isn't weak. He doesn't get bullied – he's the only who bullies people.

"Anezaki."

She snapped out of her thoughts and noticed he was struggling to get up. "Hiruma-kun!" She helped him up to a seating position, noticing his pallor. "Please don't force yourself like this, the painkillers won't take effect this fast," She was just inches from his face and the shuttered look in his eyes scared her. It scared her so much. It scares her whenever he calls her name too, because it means he's dead serious.

"Retape," He said hoarsely. "Hurry."

Her mental processes were still in temporary shutdown from the sight of Gaou's devastating attack, thus his words took a few seconds to sink in.

She stared at him in disbelief. "Re... tape?"

"You fuckin' deaf?" He winced. "Get the protectors off me or I'll take them off myself."

His command spurred her to action and she began removing his clothes, taking care not to jar his arm too much. She left the existing tape as is and began winding a fresh layer on top, feeling her fingers numb and eventually halt. Why?

_I can't do this. He can't go back to the game. He can't!_

"Hiruma-kun," She whispered and began to stand. "You can't go back there. I'm going to – "

"Third question." He cut in, stopping her words. "... third... question?"

He looked up into her eyes with a grin that was more of a grimace. "There are idiots in the NFL who kept on playing despite having a broken bone, true or false?"

_The fool!_"You can't do this." She gulped, feeling trapped. "If I say 'true', you'll go back to the game won't you?"

"True or false?" He pressed on and Mamori grit her teeth. "False."

"_Wrong_." He seemed to be a little relieved at that. "You lose, so don't disobey me anymore."

Time stopped as her memory flashed back to that moment so long ago, when she made a pact with the devil.

Now he had come to collect her soul.

She could hit him. She could _kill_ him! "You idiot," She choked, fighting back the tears. "Using that thing from so long ago... you _idiot!_"

"Just bind it tightly, fuckin' manager," He looked at her and she looked away; angry, hurt, anguished. With defeated resolve she resumed binding his right arm, and upon his request did the same for his left. He had to stand to wear the chest protector properly, and as Mamori fastened and tightened the straps she could feel he was doing all he can to just stand. "Hiruma-kun..."

"Don't show _that_face to the team," He ground out. "What do you think will happen if both of us lose our heads, Anezaki?"

"I'm not losing my head," She shot back. "I know you shouldn't go out there! What if Gaou sacks you again?"

"Funny, I was thinking of playing that 'If' card from now on," He grinned at her despite the pain and Mamori carefully slid his jersey over his shoulders and straightened it. But as she tugged the hem, she stopped.

This was her last chance. She could stop him from going outside. She could stop him from killing himself.

But would it be right?

"Y'know, if we lose this you won't have to be the manager anymore," His light tone seemed almost humorous. Almost. "Isn't that what you want?"

She instantly turned around, grabbed her clipboard and looked at him. "For making me let you go out there, we'd better win," She said fiercely and a slow smile, one that wasn't tinged with pain spread across his features. "Oh we'll win. There's no way a man coming back from the dead would lose."

And as she followed him out to the field once again, she reflected that Hiruma wasn't Sena. Hiruma wasn't weak, Hiruma doesn' get bullied. And yet when push comes to shove, she realized Hiruma needed protecting as much as Sena does.

"There's no way I'd stop at this point, is there?" She asked herself as they stepped into the light.

* * *

A/N: Do drop me a line if you like it =)


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